Femtocell wireless access points (“femtocells”) may provide wireless telephony and/or data services to a limited geographical region, such as a residence or a business. A femtocell may perform base transceiver station (BTS) functions, base station controller (BSC) functions, or both, to support wireless communications with one or more wireless communication devices (WCDs). To carry out these functions, a femtocell may define one or more limited-range cellular wireless coverage areas to provide wireless coverage in areas that may not be well-served by macro-cellular wireless coverage areas.
The use of femtocells can be advantageous for both wireless service providers and end users. Femtocells may benefit wireless service providers by offloading traffic from wireless service provider networks. Femtocells may also benefit end users by providing wireless network access in places where macro-cellular wireless networks have limited or no coverage.